ie Harvesting and 
Storage of Dahlias 

A Boiles Dahlia Booklet 



The Harvesting and 
Storage of Dahlias 



by 



CHARLTON BURGESS BOLLES 
Media, Pennsylvania 

Member The American Dahlia Society 
and The California Dahlia Society 



Copyright, 1921, By Charlton Burgess Bolles 



$$** 



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3 0c 



A List of the 

Bolles Dahlia Booklets 

1 HISTORY OF THE DAHLIA 

2 WHY GROW DAHLIAS? 

3 PROPAGATION OF THE DAHLIA 

4 CULTIVATION OF THE DAHLIA 

5 DAHLIA GROWING COMMERCIALLY 

6 FERTILIZERS AND LARGE BLOOMS 

7 THE ENEMIES AND PESTS OF DAHLIAS 

8 THE HARVESTING AND STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 

Price Twenty-five Cents 



Address orders to 

CHARLTON B. BOLLES 
Media, Penn. 



DEC -2 1921 



5)C!A630541 



1 \ : 



The Harvesting and Storage of Dahlias 



DIGGING and storage of dahlias end the joyous 
cycle of the most brilliant and gorgeous flower 
of the temperate zone. Planted with great ex- 
pectations, tended and cultivated with "miser care/* 
the wonderful blooms keenly delighted in as they re- 
vealed their amazing glories of form and color and 
profusion, their decline into the sere and yellow leaf 
of old age watched with a regretful eye, there comes a 
night, at last, sometimes as late as November 20, even 
as far north as New York or Philadelphia, when Jack 
Frost waves his baton for the finale, and stops the 
performance of this wonderful orchestra of color and 
beauty for the season. 

As much thought and care, and even imagination 
must now be put into the harvesting and storage of 
the roots as has been lavished upon their cultivation 
and enjoyment. Wrapped up in the earth-colored 
tubers are the glories of another summer. The dahlia 
grower must visualize the planting of the far-away 
next spring, the summer blooms he hopes to enjoy a- 
gain, and the next harvest, a year away. If he will go 
over in his mind the successive stages of the season's 
work now ending, and the duplication of this work, 
with improvements, for the year to come, the grower 
will dig and store his precious tubers more carefully, 



THE HARVESTING AND 



and will anticipate and prevent not a few annoyances 
and even serious troubles. He can lessen his tribu- 
lations and enlarge his joys by doing certain careful 
things at harvest time. 

Like most root crops dahlias must not be dug until 
they have fully matured, if climate and weather allow. 
The most desirable method is to wait until frost has 
killed the foliage, and then delay digging five to seven 
days, for it is believed that the sap in the killed plants 
flows down and is transformed into plant food in the 
tubers against the time of sprouting in the spring, and 
that tubers so reenforced make a better start when 
planted. 

But the amateur, blessed with academic or theo- 
retical temper of mind faces considerable danger of 
loss, if he is located in some sections, where the frost 
is long delayed in the autumn. Having obtained so 
much help from books and by following the ideals of 
the best gardeners, he will wait for frost duly to arrive 
and do its work. If this frost comes late, say around 
or after November first in many regions, it will come 
with a vengeance when it does visit the dahlia planta- 
tion, and there is decided danger that freezing will be 
deep enough to injure the crowns of the tubers, where- 
in are located the so necessary "eyes" or buds for next 
year's plants. One amateur with several hundred 
dollars worth of fine varieties was a great believer in 
theory, and had followed theory with many profitable 



STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 



results for years. This particular year, in the vicinity 
of Philadelphia, frost did not touch his land, which 
was rather higher than surrounding gardens, until the 
night of November 20, but that night the thermometer 
registered 12 degrees of frost, or 20 degrees above 
zero. He was a badly frightened man in the morning 
for the ice seemed to follow down the moisture filled 
stems clear to the tubers. He started digging at once 
and the tubers sparkled with a covering of frost when 
lifted up into the bright sunshine, while the stems 
were full of ice for several inches below the surface. 
Fortunately, he was among those who plant at least 
six inches deep, and did not lose a tuber. 

As digging time approaches weather records should 
be consulted. The thoughtful gardener will make his 
own records, and have them for valuable comparison 
from year to year. Spring planting, and fall frosts 
vary at least thirty days, one year as compared with 
another, and it is just as unwise to wait too long in the 
fall before harvesting one's crops as it is to plant too 
early when fascinating seedtime is at hand. 

As the fall days grow cooler, particularly the nights, 
and the period of sunshine is less, the dahlia plants 
begin to mature. It is time to dig the tubers up, even 
if frost has not come, when the production of blooms 
has practically ceased and the foliage shows that the 
plant is really no longer growing. It is far safer to dig 
than to wait for a frost that may be dangerously severe. 



Proceed exactly as after a frost. Cut the plants down 
with pruning shears, a keen corn cutter, or a sickle, as 
close to the ground as possible, because there are six 
inches of stem below the soil if the tuber was planted 
properly, and this is six inches of trouble in storing 
if you store bottom side up, which is the best plan. 

Greatest care must be exercised in lifting the clump 
of tubers. One cannot be too careful. Growers with 
large plantations will congratulate themselves after 
the last load has been put into the storage cellar that 
this year, at any rate, very few necks were broken, only 
to find at cutting up time, when the clumps are divided, 
that the same sad tale remains, with a deplorable per- 
centage of loss through ' 'broken necks." A tuber with 
a broken neck is about as valuable as a man who has 
the same trouble. Both are dead ones, or will be soon. 

The Irish or white potato and the sweet potato 
have ' 'eyes" from which spring the sprouts. The dahlia 
tuber is without "eyes" as the dormant buds are popu- 
larly called. The underground buds of the dahlia are 
located upon the "crowns" of the tubers. These 
crowns are rather small enlargements of the "neck" of 
the tuber just where the neck or stem of the tuber is 
joined to the main stalk of the plant When the clumps 
of tubers are divided in the spring (for only one tuber 
and one stalk should be allowed to grow at each posi- 
tion in the garden row), a portion of the central stem 
of the clump must be carefully left attached to the neck 



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'Broken necks" of one amateur. Fine varieties, but absolutely worthless. 




Necks broken. Catalog price $1. anywhere— a very choice variety. 
All ruined by carelessness in digging and storing. 



STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 



end. Unless this is done a new plant will not be ob- 
tained. If the necks are broken, or even badly bruised 
when dug they will become mere dry threads of vege- 
table tissue by spring time, and this dryness will extend 
into the crown or bud enlargement where it joins the 
mainstalk, and the bud will be dead. The tuber it- 
self will look perfectly sound, and will often be solid and 
plump. But the broken neck, often less than a quarter 
of an inch in diameter, and sometimes several inches 
long, which should have been an unbroken conduit for 
the transmission to the "eye" of the moisture stored in 
the plump tuber has been unable to perform its work. 
The main woody stalk of the clump has evaporated 
moisture all through the months of storage; the broken 
neck has been unable to supply any to the bud, and the 
bud is killed. Through carelessness in digging, resulting 
in many broken necks, tuber losses have been as high 
as eighty per cent. There is almost always some loss 
from broken necks. Some dahlia varieties have long 
slender necks and simply turning the clump bottom 
side up when digging will break the necks unless each 
heavy tuber is supported. 

The home gardener, with a small dahlia collection, 
need not suffer this loss. With spade, or spading fork, 
or with shovel, he can dig around his clump, at a safe 
distance, removing earth enough to allow him to lift 
out the clump with his hands, with enough earth be- 
tween the tubers, and more or less supporting them, to 



THE HARVESTING AND 



prevent absolutely neck breaking. It is not at all 
necessary to remove much of this soil before storing in 
the cellar. A slight shake or jar, or the pushing off of 
some of the earth with fingers or blunt end of a stake, 
is all that is needful. In fact, with heavy clay soils, 
the tubers dry out far less, and often come through the 
winter plump and hard and fine, if firmly imbedded in 
the ball of earth that is lifted with them. Of course 
such soil-filled clumps should not be piled up in the 
cellar when soggy with water, as is the case if dug im- 
mediately after rains. The roots should never be dug 
immediately after a rain. Wait twenty-four hours, or 
even two days. If weather predictions seem to make 
digging imperative while the ground is still wetter than 
ideal conditions demand, the earthy clumps can be 
exposed to sun and air for nearly a day, and not piled 
too high in the cellar, nor covered with old rugs or any- 
thing for nearly a week. So treated, a week's time will 
suffice for the stored roots to evaporate enough of their 
moisture to make final piling up and covering entirely 
safe. Tons of clumps thus treated have wintered so 
safely that in April the dried clay soij had to be pried 
off the roots in sections, and the hollowed lumps of clay 
were perfect matrixes of the surface of the tubers, while 
the tubers themselves, preserved from the evaporating 
action of dry, or possjbly warm, cellar air, were "as 
hard as rocks'' so firm and plump were they. Dug out 
of a soil almost entirely sand the clumps will free them- 



STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 



selves of the soil through the handling incident to dig- 
ging and storing. In a rather loose loamy soil enough 
will drop off naturally. 

The commercial grower sometimes has the help of 
a team of horses and a plow, along his rows, before 
lifting the clumps, but many go back to the eight or ten 
tined digging forks, "coke forks," such as are used on 
roads for lifting crushed stone. Two men, and they 
should have interest eriough in their important work 
to be careful, take a row and dig the clumps, the two 
forks being pushed into the ground at a safe distance 
from the tubers as deeply as possible, nearly to meet 
under the clump, the men then prying out the mass of 
soil and roots with simultaneous action, the two workers 
uniting in lifting a clump. 

The dug clump should be turned bottom up while 
exposed in the field for drying, and should be stored in 
the cellar bottom side up. This makes handling par- 
ticularly laborious. The juice or sap in dahlia plants 
seems to have some acid content, and many growers 
believe that if the clumps are stored stem uppermost 
this sap will settle upon the crown (bud) ends of the 
tubers and injure them. J. K. Alexander, one of the 
longest experienced and largest growers in America 
states positively that he has found that many varieties 
decay if not stored upside down. He states that the 
watery stalk sap settles in the bottom of the stalks when 
the clumps are stored stem uppermost, keeps the crowns 



10 THE HARVESTING AKD 

of the tubers wet, often causing the destruction of the 
entire clump through decay or other adverse action. 

The clumps should not be laid directly upon con- 
crete or earthen cellar floors, lest capillary attraction 
draw out the moisture and the tubers be shrivelled to 
death. Boards, barrel staves, excelsior, can be laid 
down and the clumps piled thereon. Straw matting, 
such as is used for floor coverings, or the matting around 
chests of tea, makes admirable separating material be- 
tween layers of different varieties. Bamboo matting 
is practically decay proof. A dozen or more clumps 
can be piled in a corner, a piece of matting laid on them, 
and another lot of clumps, of a different variety piled 
on top, or against the first lot, and so on, until four or 
five feet high. A ton of clumps can be stored in this 
manner, the bottom layer being in even better condi- 
tion than the top one which is more exposed to the 
drying action of air, although covered first with matting, 
then with strips of old carpet, and finaljy with news- 
papers. Inspection two or three times during the win- 
ter is advisable. If stored without undue dampness 
when brought from the garden or field very little in- 
spection will be found necessary. Lifting up a few 
clumps to ascertain if all goes well will be indicative of 
the entire pile. Care should be taken to exclude all 
frosted or green foliage, and all green stalks, as these 
will decay in the piled up clumps and may cause much 
damage by starting fungus and rot. 



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STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 11 

The home gardener with comparatively few clumps 
to store cannot do better than to use barrels and boxes. 
These should be lined with several thicknesses of news- 
paper or with a strong manila paper, to prevent too 
much air circulation, and after the clumps have been 
in the containers a few days in the cellar (less than a 
week) they may be covered with paper, and then boards 
or pieces of carpet. These small lots should be in- 
spected every month; and covered more closely if shriv- 
elling seems to be taking place. 

Home cellars are not always ideal storage rooms. 
It may be difficult to keep frost out in severest weather, 
or perhaps they may be too warm all the time. Forty- 
five degrees is just right for dahlia roots in storage, 
and an accurate thermometer is an excellent invest- 
ment, keeping it alongside the roots, where average 
heat or cold prevails, and looked at, when storage is in 
the home cellar, every morning when the furnace is 
visited. Undue cold can thus be guarded against, and 
an undesirable amount of warmth, if any noted. The 
clumps can sometimes be moved to a better location 
after thermometer readings have been taken for a 
time. If in spite of everything the tubers shrivel up 
too much they may be sprinkled cautiously with water 
now and then, but must be carefully observed from week 
to week lest warmth and moisture start the sprouts. 
A friendly neighbor, with an ideally cool cellar (forty- 
five degrees), may be glad to accommodate your roots 



12 THEHARVESTINGAND 

along with his own, and the exchanging of a variety or 
two in the spring will make this convenient and safe 
storage an annual one for the home gardener who has 
too warm a cellar. 

Where cellars are not frost-proof in mid-winter, 
dahlia clumps have been wrapped in a number of news- 
papers, tied tightly as individual packages, and stored 
in an attic or in the closet of an unheated room, and 
wintered safely. Temperatures should be observed, of 
course, lest these storage places reach thirty-two degrees 
or less, in severest cold weather. A lighted lantern, 
placed on the floor of a very cold cellar, with two or 
three buckets of water near by, will keep frost away 
during exceptionally cold snaps, and safely carry the 
stored roots over the usually short period of very low 
temperature. 

If an abnormally cold cellar is entirely dry through- 
out the winter, twelve to eighteen inches of perfectly dry 
straw closely packed around the roots would probably 
carry them through safely. This is a practice of some 
English growers, using thick packings of dry straw in 
cellars, sheds, or cold rooms. It would not be safe to 
rely altogether upon it in the colder portions of the 
United States. Yet in well built barns, where watering 
troughs for cattle seldom freeze, and never more than 
skim over with ice in the coldest weather, thick protec- 
tion with perfectly dry straw or hay would take dahlia 
roots through the winter in safety. Protection from 



STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 13 

rats and mice does not appear to be necessary. The 
roots are apparently not palatable to these pests, and 
many growers have suffered no loss through a period 
of a dozen years, though evidence of the presence of 
rats was plain enough. 

Inspection from time to time in the winter is strong- 
ly recommended. Decay from any cause, fungus, damp- 
ness, injuries at digging time, rotting foliage accidently 
included in the storage, will not only destroy the roots 
directly involved, but may spread to surrounding clumps 
and losses equaling a quarter and even a third of the 
entire crop have been reported. If, when inspected, 
decay spots, or rotted tubers, are found, cut away all 
the spoiled portions, sprinkle powdered lime over the 
cut surfaces and carefully pile up again. 

Some of the most beautiful and desirable modern 
dahlias, the new creations, are extremely difficult to 
carry over the winter. Storm King, a superb white 
dahlia, is one such. Some amateurs store these sensi- 
tive varieties that so easily shrivel up and die during the 
winter in trunks or tightly covered boxes. Considerable 
earth is left clinging to the tubers. Often roots so 
stored go through the winter safely. But they should 
not be so stored in metal containers. The inevitable 
partial evaporation will condense on the inside metal 
walls, and mould and decay of roots is sure to follow. 
One amateur filled several large galvanized ash barrels 
with roots placing wooden covers rather tightly upon 



14 THE HARVESTING AND 

the tops. In one month's time the insides of the steel 
barrels were literally dripping with moisture. Prompt 
emptying of the roots saved them from rotting. Wooden 
barrels and boxes do not have this objectionable feature, 
the wood allowing the slowly evaporated water from 
the tubers to pass through its fibers to the air. 

Amateurs are sometimes advised by the ignorant to 
cover their roots in storage with sand, or sawdust, shav- 
ings, dried earth, ashes, ground cork. Do not use any 
of these materials. Paper lined barrels or boxes, with a 
top covering of paper, and wood or rugs, not too tightly 
laid, will answer for almost all ordinary varieties. For 
the latest and most sensitive sorts, as previously stated, 
something else is necessary, and some amateurs devoted 
to the most expensive varieties, claim that something 
like sand or dried earth must be used. But any of the 
materials mentioned hold moisture, and roots packed in 
them are pretty sure to mildew or rot. Do not cover 
your ordinary roots with anything save wood, paper, 
matting, or carpets. The clumps stacked upon each 
other seem to be according to nature's liking and only 
need the surrounding protection of paper, wood, etc. 
The specialist with exhibition dahlias only, and these 
are the most sensitive sorts, dips any bruised or cut sur- 
faces of the tubers in powdered sulphur. This is an 
excellent practice with any variety. He will not store 
in sand under any circumstances, as sprouts will start 
if the sand is damp; while if the sand be practically 



STORAGE OP DAHLIAS IS 

kilri dried it will absorb vital moisture from the tubers 
and render them worthless. 

A temperature range of 40 to 50 degrees is safe and 
satisfactory. But it should be remembered that at 
32 degrees frost ensues, and the tubers will be killed. 

In the South, where unnecessary work is not 
particularly courted, dahlia roots are left in the ground 
all winter by many gardeners. A forkful or two of 
leaves or litter may be placed over the ends of the 
stalks by the more ambitious. In the spring the clumps 
are dug up and the surplus, after planting, put in the 
shade of a tree where neighbors come and get them 
after the hospitable way of Dixie land. 

California growers have their troubles, but not from 
frost. The dry atmosphere of the southern half of the 
state is the main difficulty. Irrigation must be practiced 
during the long cloudless months, and during the resting 
period of the plants protection from the dry air, which 
is likely to cause the roots to dry so completely as to 
entirely destroy, must be as perfect as possible. De- 
cember will find some plants still blooming well. The 
safest plan seems to be that of leaving the roots in the 
ground; this is true for most of California, and for the 
Pacific coast generally west of the Cascade and Sierra 
Nevada mountains, as far north as Seattle. The roots 
are undisturbed until planting time comes again, unless 
grown in a heavy clay soil, or in such low land that 
water remains in pools after rains. Standing water on 



16 THE HARVESTING AND 

and in the soil is a certain cause of decay of tubers. 
When the plants mature the growers cut off the tops 
close to the ground, and hill up the stumps. This pro- 
vides a water shed over the roots, and protects from 
moderate frost if such comes along. The clumps are 
hot dug until it is time to divide and plant. The ne- 
cessity of a storage cellar and all the labor it involves 
is done away with. 

Inexperienced amateurs, who start their first year 
ambitiously with a fine lot of plants, of ten wonder how 
many they will have of their own raising to plant the 
following spring. One dahlia plant will average thir- 
teen tubers as its summer production, besides scores of 
blossoms. Probably the clump can be divided into 
six or even eight plantable tubers. The amateur 
who starts his first year of dahlia delights with fifty 
tubers will have at least five bushels of clumps in the 
autumn, and not less than 300 tubers to plant the next 
spring, if his roots go safely through the winter. An 
acre of dahlias, about 5000 plants, produces more than 
four tons of roots, which can be stored in a bin twelve 
feet square, and four feet deep. The clumps when 
divided into as nearly single tubers as possible for plant- 
ing do not take up half as much room, stowing more 
closely, besides the elimination of stems and clinging 
earth. Gutting up, or division, should not be done 
until nearly planting time, of course, as each cut sur- 
face makes shriveling up more likely. 



STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 



17 



After a frost fifteen days of fine weather has often 
been known to follow. The temptation to postpone 
digging, even if the tops are dead, presents itself, but 
should be resisted. Continuous mild and somewhat 
wet weather will cause the tubers to sprout, and these 
sprouts it is most desirable to hold dormant until the 
following spring. The premature sprouting also weak- 
ens the tuber. 

These after-frost sprouts that come up if digging is 
delayed and warm weather prevails, are most unde- 
sirable for another reason. They are of soft, very green, 
succulent growth, without woody substance of any 
kind. When the roots are finally dug these sprouts are 
cut or broken off close to the ground, of course, but the 
soft growth below the soil is lifted with the clump and 
stored. This sprout is full of water, is spongy tissue, 
not hardened, and will decay during the winter. It may, 
and sometimes does, destroy the entire clump by com- 
municating its decay. Clumps dug within a week after 
frost will be free of this particular danger. 

The home gardener always spears potatoes on the 
tines of his digging fork, and will be as cruel to his dah- 
lias if he doesn't look out. Tubers broken in two, or 
perforated by a fork tine, will go through winter storage 
unharmed in most instances. Such injuries should be 
carefully avoided, however, particularly in heavy soils 
that carry the fungus of black rot. The cuts, bruises 
and fractures occuring in digging afford so many open- 



18 THE HARVESTING AND 

ings in the tough protecting shell of the tuber through 
which the fungus can pass and produce deadly decay. 
Dahlia tubers are very susceptible to fungus attack, 
and fungus means decay, and tuber loss. This danger 
is another reason for placing boards or other suitable 
insulation between roots and either a concrete or an 
earthen cellar bottom. A reason, also, for not sprinkl- 
ing tubers with water during the winter unless abso- 
lutely imperative. Mould, decay, premature sprout- 
ing, must all be guarded against and can be usually 
prevented. Exceptionally valuable roots should be 
individually inspected once a month throughout the 
winter. 

The amateur has the exceedingly helpful advantage 
of not needing to cut up his clumps until late spring. 
The commercial grower who has large crops must start 
dividing soon after January begins. Some growers find 
storage of the cut up (divided) tubers in closed wooden 
boxes prevents any damage by drying out. Exclusion 
of air, an even and low temperature, should be secured. 
Some consider packing in cocoanut fibre refuse an ex- 
cellent method, others regard finely divided sawdust, 
sifted and dry leaf mould, or screened peat, or sand, 
desirable. 

Commercial growers often build a specially de- 
signed storage building, or cellar, of concrete, which 
ensures evenness of temperature. Wooden bins with 
movable partitions facilitate separation of the varie- 



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"Jack Rose." Photographed June 1, after protection by being covered 
with newspapers and old carpet since day they were dug. 




Fine plump tubers, ready to be planted. Wintered at average temperature 

of fifty degrees, in home cellar, ten feet from hot water heater. 

Protected from air by newspapers and burlap bags. 

Photographed June 1, day taken from pile. 



STORAGEOFDAHLIAS 19 

ties. Slots formed by cleats nailed on the sides allow 
separation boards to be quickly placed between the 
sorts as storage proceeds. This is a good plan for the 
amateur. In fact preparedness of every sort for 
harvest time is most helpful. Then the work of remov- 
ing the crop from the ground to storage can proceed 
without confusion, and with that quietness of spirit 
which makes for joyousness in gardening. If there is 
a window over the storage bin it will be well to equip 
it with cord and pulleys for opening or closing. When 
the bin is filled with roots the window may be hard to 
reach. 

Preparedness with suitable tags cannot be too much 
emphasized. There is no reason why you should not 
know your dahlias by name, and it is embarrassing to 
a genuine garden lover not to be able to answer the 
queries of visitors who come to admire his blooms. 
The tags growers send out with the tubers are not very 
suitable for exposure to weather and the close packing 
of storage. Half a season usually makes them unread- 
able. Neither is the attaching wire durable enough. 
If iron it crumbles with rust before the summer is over. 
The self-respecting and careful gardener will have legible 
tags, strongly wired, attached to plants, or stakes, 
before harvest time. As the end of the growing season 
approaches he will go through his garden and be sure 
that each tag is accurately identified with the plant it 
represents. Slender wire will be replaced by strong 



20 THEHARVESTINGAND 

copper or galvanized wire. In many cities, and at 
amusement parks, slot machines may be found that for 
a cent or two will punch names in raised letters on strips 
of aluminum. Such tags are ever-lasting, can always 
be read, the soil that may become attached to them in 
storage piles can be rubbed off in a moment without 
injuring their legibility in the least, and they cannot 
rust or decay. Amateurs can make their own tags 
from strips of wood. Odds and ends picked up at build- 
ing operations, or at the carpenter shop, for a few cents, 
can be sawed into blocks of size and shape to suit in- 
dividual taste. Pieces five inches long, an inch and a 
quarter wide, and at least half an inch thick make 
excellent tags. Any wood that will not warp and split 
readily under the effect of rains and sunshine is suitable. 
Two coats of white paint is very desirable, making the 
name more legible. A very black pencil, or a shipping 
crayon may be used to write or print the name on the 
tag. Black paint is best of all. Wire can be attached 
through a hole half an inch from one end of the tag. 
Such a tag is readily noted amidst the foliage of the 
growing plant, and cannot be lost in the debris of the 
storage pile. Unless it has been strongly and pretty 
tightly wired to the stalk close to the ground just before 
digging, it should be wired around a tuber's neck in the 
clump immediately upon lifting from the ground. The 
wire should be loose enough not to cut the neck, yet 
close enough to prevent slipping off over the tuber. 






STORAGE OF DAHLIAS 21 

Placing around the neck is an insurance against the 
mixing of tags, since it cannot slip off no matter how 
much the tuber may shrink in size during the winter 
from undue dryness. When tags are wired to the main 
stalk of a clump they often become detached, since the 
stem will greatly reduce its diameter by drying, and 
the loosened wire loop slips off as the clumps are handled 
in the spring. In the great days of tulip growing in 
Holland generations ago, when portly and wealthy 
burghers spent fabulous sums upon single bulbs, a 
famous grower was able to identify one thousand differ- 
ent tulips by name by carefully looking at the bulb, 
and remembering the little and obscure differences in 
form and other appearances. No dahlia enthusiast 
has yet arisen with equal ability in his chosen realm, 
and the average man cannot be too careful about 
tagging. 



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